News

A Waterloo Engineering graduate student has been awarded one of Canada’s top graduate scholarships for her research helping communities adapt to extreme heat using data-driven, climate-resilient solutions.

Irfhana Zakir Hussain, a PhD student in the Department of Systems Design Engineering and the School of Public Health Sciences, has received a 2025 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship for her work in integrating environmental, health and socioeconomic data to predict and map heat-related health risks in Waterloo neighbourhoods.

Ahmed Shahin (MASc ’21, nanotechnology engineering) is on a mission to make advanced gas-sensing technology affordable, efficient and accessible — a goal that’s earned him national recognition as one of Canada’s top graduate researchers.

Now pursuing a PhD in mechanical and mechatronics engineering and as a member of the University of Waterloo’s Institute of Quantum Computing (IQC), Shahin is among this year’s recipients of the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship. Valued at $50,000 per year for up to three years, the scholarship supports exceptional doctoral students across Canada who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership and strong research potential.

Three Waterloo Engineering alumni are infusing Ontario’s summer scene with handcrafted ice cream, Egyptian street food and craft beer.

Ajoa Mintah (BASc ’01, chemical engineering), Amr Elmazariky (MASc ’11, electrical and computer engineering) and Jim Murphy (BASc ’95, chemical engineering) all worked as engineers before becoming successful entrepreneurs in the food and beverage sector.

Researchers across disciplines at Waterloo Engineering are using artificial intelligence (AI) to help prepare for and respond to natural disasters such as wildfires and floods.

Dr. Joshua Pulsipher, a professor of chemical engineering, is developing models that leverage AI and data to forecast and track fires with greater accuracy.

A Waterloo Engineering graduate student who restarted her academic journey in Canada after the war in Ukraine has been recognized internationally for her research in AI-powered sports analytics.

Kseniia Buzko arrived at Waterloo through a summer program for displaced Ukrainian students, later completing her undergraduate degree with top marks and joining the Department of Systems Design Engineering's Vision and Image Processing Research Group as a master’s student.

Two men with deep ties to Waterloo Engineering – a former dean who has directly influenced more than a million students and an alumnus who was inspired to help children by the birth of his own son – have been named officers of the Order of Canada.

Dr. Larry Smith, a professor from Waterloo Engineering’s Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business, is known by students and alumni alike for his legendary classes on economics, innovation and entrepreneurship.  

In an exchange with BetaKit, a Canadian tech publication, Smith shared his views on thoughtful ambition, Canada’s potential for greatness and student fashion.

Felix Arndt has been appointed director of the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business, effective July 1, 2025. He brings to his new post international academic experience and a strong record of translating research into innovation.

Previously the John F. Wood Chair in Entrepreneurship (Department of Management) at the University of Guelph, Arndt also serves as a Research Fellow at the Stockholm School of Economics. His academic leadership has also spanned the UK and China, where he has led research programs, executive education and international partnerships.

Dr. Raymond Laflamme, a visionary in quantum information science and founding director of the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC), passed away on June 19 after a long illness. His leadership helped position Canada as a global force in quantum research and shaped the future of quantum innovation at the University of Waterloo.

Laflamme’s vision for IQC laid the groundwork for deep collaboration across campus, including a long-standing partnership with Waterloo Engineering. 

Researchers led by a team at Waterloo Engineering have developed a way to create tiny droplets of one liquid inside another liquid without mixing the two together.

The technique, known as droplet templating, enables the creation of a new class of nanoparticle-based soft materials with potential applications in carbon capture and wastewater treatment.